LUCKY 14 worked for Northern Ireland as their number 14 Lauren Wade moved onto 14 international goals with the extra-time winner against Croatia.
Her cracking finish in the 114th minute avoided a penalty shoot for Tanya Oxtoby’s side – but brought the dubious reward of another play-off round next month against Norway, who thrashed Albania 14-0 on aggregate, after 9-0 win in Oslo tonight.
The only goal of the game was harsh on Croatia, and out of keeping with much of what went before in a scrappy, tense match, but NI won’t mind in the slightest as their young side progressed to the next stage with dreams of reaching the finals in Switzerland next year very much alive.
Simone Magill led the team out for the first time as new captain, moments after the previous armband-wearer, Laura Rafferty, was honoured for the 50th cap she had won in Croatia.
After the 1-1 draw away on Friday the hosts were boosted by the return from injury of Joely Andrews, who replaced Rachel Dugdale, and operated in an advanced midfield role, floating behind the front three.
Casey Howe was on the left of that attacking trio, rewarded for her involvement in the first leg equaliser by starting instead of Keri Halliday.
There was a further fluidity to the home formation with both full-backs pushing up, notably Rebecca McKenna on the right early on. Wade, traditionally a winger, was on the other side, but came across to deliver a corner which evaded almost everyone – and when it was half-cleared the ball came to Howe, who blasted a shot over.
The hosts could well have taken the lead in the 10th minute when McKenna touched a lofted ball on to Magill, but the skipper could only crash her shot against the crossbar and it bounced back out and away.
In the next minute Croatia had probably an even better chance, when NI conceded possession near halfway and Ivana Rudelic was sent running through on goal by Ana Markovic. The centre-forward tried to open up her body but her low right-foot shot was smartly saved by the feet of the advancing Jackie Burns.
NI continued to dominate possession and play but without carving out another opening, and Croatia began to put in some crunching challenges. However, it was a neat drag-back from midfielder Tea Krznaric – the one change to the visiting line-up - which gave her the room to fire just over from the edge of the penalty area.
Burnley’s Brenna McPartlan was a composed presence in central midfield for NI, aiming to dictate play from deep, but with just over 10 minutes to half-time she came forward to lob a shot which drifted harmlessly wide after a Wade shot had rebounded to her.
McKenna then had a low drive tipped around for a corner, from which Andrews saw a shot blocked. The wide attackers in green switched over late on in the half, and Danielle Maxwell flashed a shot narrowly wide from the left, but the breakthrough would not come.
Defensive sloppiness from the hosts allowed Rudelic to receive a throw-in and cut the ball back from the bye-line, but Krznaric’s snapshot was saved, albeit awkwardly, by Burns.
The lively McKenna forced Doris Bacic to concede a corner, shooting fiercely on the run after a neat lay-off from Andrews but play was often being broken up by gameswomanship from the Croats, who regularly seemed to require treatment.
When they concentrating on playing, however, they were dangerous, and a rising shot from Izabela Lojna – scorer of both goal and own goal in the first leg – had to be palmed over by Burns.
In general, despite going to ground so often, Croatia exhibited more bite in the tackle, and without some of their older players the hosts lacked the physicality to trouble them greatly at set pieces.
NI sent on Louise McDaniel for Connie Schofield before the hour mark and the Cliftonville player pushed forward at every opportunity yet still the stalemate went on.
On came Chloe McCarron and Emily Wilson, for Andrews and Magill, and that did spark some life into NI. Maxwell delivered a free kick which McPartlan headed back across and narrowly wide, then McDaniel slipped a pass to Wilson on the left, but her effort lacked power.
The same went for a shot from Petra Pezelj at the other end in the third of four minutes of added time, so extra time ensued.
Again Croatia threatened on the break with Maja Joscak coming close on a couple of occasions – and then, with the first extra period almost over, left-back Janja Canjevac’s low shot was almost dragged into her own net by NI substitute Natalie Johnson.
Into the second period of extra time Croatia’s pressure continued, with substitute Anela Lubina firing a goal-bound shot which was blocked by Rebecca Holloway.
The home side were struggling to put passing moves together, but Wade, pushed up to left wing, did force a tip-over with a dipping shot when found by McCarron.
When that corner was not properly cleared, NI kept the ball well, and another half-clearance was won by Wade, who then unleased a great left-shoot shot high to the net.
The girls in green safely saw out the remaining minutes, but will know a much improved performance will be required next time out if they are to have any chance against Norway.
Northern Ireland (4-2-1-3): Burns; McKenna, Rafferty, Holloway; McPartlan, Schofield (McDaniel, 59), Wade; Andrews (McCarron, 84); Maxwell (Burrows, 121), Magill (capt.) (Wilson, 84), Howe (Johnson, 97).
Croatia (4-3-3): Bacic (capt.); Lojna, Nervkla, Jelencic, Canjevac; Galic (Vracevic, 118), Krznaric (Lubina, 106), Pezelj (Dordic, 116); Markovic (Mikulica, 87), Rudelic, Joscak.
Referee: Tess Olofsson (Sweden).
Attendance: 3,935.